No Stopping Her (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
by ilna
Summary: Joan's excitement at spending time with Angie continues. Part 2 of Angie's First Birthday Marathon.


**Notes:** Mari and Sammy - Hard to believe it's really been a year! Thanks for everything as always.

Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your awesome support! We're so thrilled at how you've embraced Angie over the last year.

 **Hope you enjoy!**

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 _No Stopping Her (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)_

Early Monday morning, Joan stood beside Angie's crib, chattering away about making 4th of July crafts at the library as her little cousin stood facing her, holding the slats and staring back entranced. While Angie had yet to take her first steps, Steve had long since lowered the crib's mattress so she would be safe even when she pulled herself up inside it.

"Ah bah nah eee!" Angie babbled happily when Joan paused to take a breath.

"And after we go to the library we're going to go the zoo!" Joan told her excitedly.

"Ooooh," Angie repeated and laughed brightly.

"Well, not right after," came a voice from the door. "We're going to the library today and the zoo tomorrow."

Both Joan and Angie looked over to see Catherine smiling at them in the doorway.

"Mama!" Angie said immediately, bouncing in place.

"Good morning, honey," Catherine said with a warm smile as she approached the crib. "I heard you in here talking with your cousin."

Joan looked contrite at that. "I'm sorry I didn't come get you when Angie woke up, Aunt Cath. I just wanted to tell her about the fun things we're going to do."

"Ohh, it's okay, sweetheart," Catherine said, leaning down to reassure her with a quick kiss to her sleep-tousled head. "I could hear you on the monitor so I knew you were both okay in here."

"Am I still a good listener?" Joan asked hopefully. "Mama and Daddy said I had to be a good listener."

The previous day, Joan had insisted that she wanted to have a "real" sleepover and that meant her parents couldn't be there. After Steve and Catherine had assured Mary and Aaron it was perfectly fine with them, they'd agreed to spend the night at the condo so long as Joan agreed to be a good listener.

"You are a wonderful listener and you've been a big help," Catherine assured her. "I think Angie really liked that you were here last night to help with her bath. And I know she's loved sharing her room with you." As Joan beamed, Catherine turned to the crib to pick up Angie who had raised both arms toward her.

"Uh!" Angie said, motioning with her arms. "Uh!"

Catherine's eyes widened slightly. She looked at Joan. "Did you hear that?"

Joan looked confused. "Hear what?"

"It almost sounded like Angie was trying to say 'up.' "

"Uh!" Angie repeated, more insistently.

Catherine smiled broadly, lifting her from the crib. "Is that what you're saying, baby girl? Are you saying 'up'?"

Angie kicked happily as Catherine held her aloft. "Uh, uh, uh!"

Joan clapped, jumping excitedly. "She's saying 'up'!"

"I think you are!" Catherine said, laughing, and brought her down to kiss her cheek. "Wait till Daddy hears."

Joan looked around, realizing someone was missing. "Where's Uncle Steve?" she asked.

"He's out running with Cammie," Catherine told her as she took Angie over to the changing table.

Joan cocked her head curiously. "He's running with Cammie?"

"Yes, she loves getting to run with us," Catherine said as she began undressing Angie. She handed the sleeper set to Joan who was standing beside her, bouncing on her tiptoes and eager to help. "Can you put that in the hamper for me, honey?"

Joan bounced over to the hamper and put the sleeper inside. "Who's going to win?"

"Hmm?" Catherine asked, removing Angie's diaper.

"When Uncle Steve and Cammie run."

"Ohh, well, they're not racing, they're just exercising," Catherine explained as she put a fresh diaper on Angie who was playing with her fingers above her head and babbling to herself.

"But who's faster?" Joan asked, returning to the changing table.

Angie turned her head toward her and smiled happily, reaching a hand for her. "Bah ee!"

Catherine smiled at her niece's question. "Who's faster? Cammie, but best not to remind Uncle Steve about that," she said with a little wink.

Joan grinned, not totally clear on what she meant, but happy to share a joke with her aunt regardless.

After Angie was changed and dressed, they headed downstairs for breakfast. Once they'd finished, they decided to play in the living room rather than the playroom because Joan wanted to see Steve and Cammie as soon as they got back.

Joan was clearly in her element, offering Angie toy after toy. Angie would take each one, give it a good shake or bang it on the ground, before dropping it in anticipation of the next. The cousins' joy was a constant feedback loop, each smile or laugh setting off the same in the other.

At one point, Angie crawled toward the armchair and gripped the fabric to pull herself up.

"There you go, big girl," Catherine said, shifting herself on the floor a couple feet away. She held her arms out. "Now walk over here. Come on," she encouraged. "You can do it."

Joan gasped. "Is she going to walk?"

"Maybe," Catherine said. "I'm hoping she tries. Come on, Angie." She motioned with her hands. "Come on, honey."

"Come on, Baby Angie," Joan said, going over by Catherine. "Walk over here!"

Angie laughed, shuffling back and forth along the short length of the chair, but didn't let go. She reached toward the coffee table and smacked the surface with her palm. "Ah da da ee!" she cried, hitting the table again. She plopped down to the ground and started crawling toward a bumpy purple ball. "Bah da da ee!"

Catherine sighed, dropping her arms.

Joan twisted her lips thoughtfully. "Maybe she doesn't want to walk while Uncle Steve is running with Cammie."

Catherine looked at her and smiled. "Do you think?"

Joan nodded seriously, now convinced she was right. "Uncle Steve is her daddy and she wants him to see her walking."

Catherine looked back at Angie, studying her. "Huh." She looked back at the young girl and smiled. "You know, you might be right, Joan." She reached over and rolled the ball along the floor back and forth, causing Angie to laugh and clap happily. "Is that what you're doing, Angie? Are you waiting for Daddy?"

"Dada!" Angie leaned forward to capture the ball with both hands. "Ah bah!"

Joan flopped down beside her. "I think when Uncle Steve gets home, Baby Angie will walk right to him," she said confidently. When Angie released the ball, Joan bounced it in place which Angie found amazing.

"Eeee!" she exclaimed, clapping and watching in fascination.

A few minutes later, the back door opened and Steve and Cammie came inside. Cammie led the way, and after noting that everything in the living room was fine, headed into the kitchen to her water bowl.

Steve smiled at them around the water bottle he'd grabbed from the fridge on the deck. Swallowing a large gulp, he came into the living room.

"Dada!" Angie was first to say.

"Uncle Steve, you're here!" Joan quickly followed up. "Baby Angie can walk now!"

"What?" he asked in surprise, his eyes immediately going to Catherine. "She's walking?"

"Not yet," Catherine said. "Joan thinks she might have been waiting for you to take her first steps."

Steve squatted down, putting his water bottle on the floor. "Is that right, Angie?" he asked. "Well, come on. I'm here now." He held his hands out to her as Catherine lifted the excited baby to her feet, keeping her own hands close by as Angie wobbled on unsteady legs. "Come on, Angie," Steve coaxed. "Come on, you can do it."

Joan jumped up and stood by Steve, waving a hand in their direction. "Over here, Baby Angie! Walk over here!"

Angie smiled broadly at their excitement. "Ah bah! Dada! Bah bah ee!" She lifted one foot, but fell sideways toward Catherine who caught her. Undeterred, Angie squirmed against her mother's attempt to stand her up again, squawking, "No!" and instead crawled quickly toward Steve and Joan, reaching for the water bottle Steve had abandoned on the floor. "Bah bah!" she squealed, managing to knock it over when she swung a hand at it.

Joan sighed, disappointed. "She didn't walk."

"Don't worry, honey," Catherine said. "She will."

"That's right," Steve agreed, smiling as Angie used his leg to pull herself up toward him. "Maybe she's just waiting for a bigger audience."

Joan put her hand on Steve's shoulder to lean closer and see what Angie was doing but recoiled as she felt the sweat-dampened fabric of his t-shirt.

"Ew! Uncle Steve!" she cried. "You're all sweaty!"

He laughed. "Well, yeah, I was outside running."

Angie laughed as well, echoing the merriment around her as always before plopping back down and crawling toward the bright red fire truck she'd spotted on the floor.

"That's disgusting!" Joan proclaimed, shaking her hand vigorously.

" ' _Disgusting_ '?" Steve feigned affrontement, standing and sweeping her up in one motion, flipping her upside down and holding her against him.

Joan shrieked in surprise and delight, laughing uncontrollably. "Uncle Steve!"

Angie echoed the shriek from the floor, laughing as well. She held her arms up toward Steve. "Uh! Uh!" she said. "Dada! Uh!"

Steve looked around Joan's flailing legs at his daughter. "Hey, did she just say …?"

"Uh!"

"She's saying 'up,' "Joan told him, calming down but still grinning as Steve turned her rightside up and set her back on the floor gently.

Steve laughed happily, scooping Angie up and kissing her cheek. "She sure is," he agreed proudly.

"She said it this morning in her room to Aunt Cath!" Joan went on.

Catherine stood beside them, beaming at Angie. "She sure did, didn't you, honey?"

"Mama," Angie said, reaching for her.

"You want Mommy?" Steve asked, leaning over so Catherine could take her. He quirked a smile at Joan. "Must be because I'm so 'sweaty' and 'disgusting,' " he teased.

Joan giggled, covering her mouth with her hands. Watching her, Angie attempted to do the same.

Catherine smiled, thoroughly amused by the whole scene.

"So I'll go take a shower before we head over to meet your mom and dad and everybody at the library," Steve continued.

Joan straightened excitedly. "Maybe Baby Angie will walk there!"

"Maybe she will," Steve said, leaning over and cupping Angie's head with a hand and kissing her. "But one thing I know for sure, once she starts, there'll be no stopping her."

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 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Angie's First Birthday Marathon continues tomorrow! We'll post a story a day from July 1st - 7th!**

 _Find all our stories (in chronological order!) on our website: marirealmcroll dot wixsite dot com backslash real-mcroll_

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 _You can still join our mailing list by emailing us realmcroll at yahoo dot com with Add me, please! in the subject line._

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